Division of Social Work
Field Education Program
6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6090
Phone: (916) 278-6943 / Fax: (916) 278-7167 www.hhs.csus.edu/SWRK/Field
The Macro Project is a vital part of the curriculum and the student’s education as a social worker.
It brings richness and understanding to the fundamental social work principle that individuals, families, groups and communities exist in relationship to one another and to larger systems in the social environment. In addition to equipping our students with clinical practice skills, we want them to view themselves as having a role in the macro environment, developing skills in the practice of planning, community organizing and administration.
Each student is expected to spend an average of one to two hours field hours per week, through out the academic year, on this indirect practice assignment. The macro practice project will total approximately thirty hours of field placement time. It is task oriented, beneficial to the agency, and involves planning, time management and organizational skills that will be discussed in supervision. It may be necessary for the student to work with preceptors in administrative positions to fulfill this requirement.
Social work agencies increasingly find that they must form collaborations in order to provide comprehensive services to their community. One agency is not able to meet all the needs of their client populations. Funding resources are scarce, and duplication of services may often be ineffective. Funders are increasingly requiring agencies to form collaborations and collaborative linkages in order to receive monetary resources. This assignment is focused on helping the student to look at the needs of the agency’s community, the resources available and how these resources are, or are not, linked and coordinated to provide a comprehensive system of care.
Purpose of this Assignment:
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To Develop Macro Practice Skills
The Learning Objectives are to:
 Define the agency’s mission and populations served.
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Identify and define the service community.
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Understand the concept of a networking system that is developed to provide comprehensive services.
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Examine the collaborative model developed with your agency, and how it works or does not work in providing a network system.
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Develop leadership skills.

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Develop an understanding of political reality in the agency and community.
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Advocate for change and enhance social justice.
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Increase awareness of the political boundaries and how they impact the agency, agency staff and community.
Assignment:
Your field agency serves a target population(s). After completing the following Macro
Assessment, you should be able to answer the following questions. In order to meet the needs of these populations has your agency linked with other organizations and care providers within their community? Has your field agency developed a networking system, sharing resources and expanding their ability to meet the needs of their clients through these linkages?
In order to answer the questions above, you must complete the following Macro Assessment questions (in written form):
Part I: Due at the END OF FALL SEMESTER
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Describe the networking system.
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Is there a key agency/group or person responsible for coordinating services? Describe.
Part II: Due at the END OF SPRING SEMESTER
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the current care system.
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Identify gaps in this networking system.
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Make suggestions for change by identifying un-met needs. (Though this process the student may discover how relations are built and maintained, please site examples that are pertinent).
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Identify agencies/organizations within the community that can provide needed resources.
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Discuss barriers/reasons why the field agency has not liked with these agencies/resources.
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Develop a plan for collaboration to develop a system of care in this community.
Be sure to answer all questions asked in the assignment. Your answers may be written and/or demonstrated in audio/visuals. A written one page abstract is required that summarizes your project. Include: 1) agency identity and mission; and 2) brief answers to the questions posed above.
It is strongly recommended that you will track your progress for this assignment in your journal.
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